FC United of Manchester

Match Preview: Macclesfield (A) - Pitching In Northern Premier League

FC United face a tough test in search of our first away points of 2025, as we travel to Moss Rose to face league leaders Macclesfield.

Team News

FC United manager, Mark Beesley on squad fitness and the return of Michael Donohue: “We had three matches to start off the year, and there’s been a couple of niggles that we’ve picked up that we’ll have to assess before the match.

“The return of Michael Donohue has been a big positive for us. Having been out for a while, we’ve eased him back in, but it’s been great to see him back out there and ready to play a part over the remainder of the season.”

Our Opponents – Macclesfield, The Silkmen

Robbie Savage’s Macclesfield have been the standout performers in the Northern Premier League this season, having won 20 out of 26 games played thus far. Tomorrow’s hosts come into the game off the back of their third loss of the season on Tuesday night, falling to a 1-0 defeat away at Ashton United.

The Silkmen have the best defensive record (22 goals conceded) and attacking output in the league, scoring over two goals per game on average. Danny Elliott’s 18 league goals is the third-highest tally in the NPL.

Beesley on Macclesfield: “We’re looking forward to facing them. They’ve had an outstanding season, and there’s no doubt for me that they’re the champions-elect.

“For us, it’s going to be a good measure of how far we’ve come as a team over the last three months. You want to test yourselves against the best, and it shows you the level you need to be at to compete in this league.”

Last Time Out

The first matchup between FC and Macclesfield this season resulted in a narrow 2-1 win for the Silkmen at Broadhurst Park in September. Adam Le Fondre’s equaliser on the stroke of an hour restored parity following an early goal by former Manchester United youngster D’Mani Mellor, however John Rooney’s 75th minute goal secured the points for Macclesfield.

Watch: Highlights of the first match between FC United and Macclesfield this season (YT: Silkmen TV)